"Brainwashed"

“Brainwashed” is another article that can be found on ChangeThis.com. The article takes a look at how our generation has been brainwashed into being average. The author, Seth Godin, strongly believes that our society has been built to produce average and compliant individuals. He argues that creativity and uniqueness can make an individual stand out thus making that person more vulnerable to being ostracized. Godin also discusses how we fear letting ourselves shine at times because we are afraid of being laughed at or perceived as being dumber than the rest.

Gobin discusses a handful of layers that people can use to try and reinvent themselves. By reinventing yourself you can possibly break yourself free from this average hegemony we have been forced into.

The first layer that I truly believe exits inside of everybody is what Godin calls “Acknowledging the Lizard.” Basically this a concept that talks about how our brains, that stem from the prehistoric lizard, are all naturally afraid of being laughed at. This fear of being laughed at is often the reason great ideas or creativity is repressed and cut off at the roots. He refers to this shut down as “the resistance”. Godin points out that we need to stand up and understand that “the resistance” will continue to hold us back until we can fight against this fear of being laughed at.

I for one can relate to this concept. I always just thought it was mainly me over thinking things, and some of it is, but I guess I never considered that other people felt the same way. Reading this has given me a small sense of relief to know that the way I feel sometimes is actually pretty common.

The next layer Godin mentions that stands out for me is the Fail layer. This layer refers to the act of failing and using it as a tool to grow and learn. However, like most would be agree, failing can be terrifying and crippling. But Godin says it is mandatory. Again, I love this concept. I like the optimism of looking at failing in a good way and a way to prosper. I suppose that if one never tries because of the fear of failing, then they will never really know if they had something good or not. This goes back to my howl blog about my favorite quote, “The biggest mistake one can make is living in fear of making one.” This layer entirely relates to this quote and how I believe I should run my life. I think I need to make a more conscious effort to live this way and try to suppress my own lizard mind more often.

Overall, I found this article useful because I have a weight off me now. I relieved to read that feeling afraid or apprehensive is completely common across everybody. This article was a breath of fresh air for me.